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I am a male instructor.  I have to say the releases are getting more and more feminine.  The songs are all geared toward ladies.  The instructors cue c'mon girls, the lyrics to the songs are c'mon girls.  As a man it makes me feel a bit silly.  I like to project the image of being strong and athletic. 

I do not understand if BS is for everybody than why is it so female orientated in its deliverary.  I can see getting real "girly" in track 8, but in every track?  It does nothing for promoting male membership.  Even some of the women are not comfortable being too flamboyant - shaking their backsides and breasts.  They came and want an intense cardio workout.  I do understand the having fun element.  Some of my female co instructors have had the same reaction to some of the latest releases.  If you are teaching a class and you feel "awkward" as you deliver the choreography, than I imagine the students feel the same discomfort.  Let's face it Instructors are generally more outgoing than most.  I have decided that if BS continues to be so female oreintated I am going to quit teaching it.  I will just stick with Pump.  It is too bad because I pack my classroom and enjoy the cardio. 

I agree with the poster!  I am a female instructor.  I will shake my backside and breasts with the best of them but I have watched the men in my class - especially with the last two releases - shake their heads instead (oh sure - they will watch the girls shake it - they aren't dead - but they aren't interested in participating and most members don't really know to do something else instead - they just kind of stand there).  As a kick-butt instructor I consider these moves frivilous.  They have their time and place but when they are the mainstay of the workout, the workout becomes less challenging and over the top with fluff.  Please go back to a challenging ATHLETIC workout!!

For every song that's "c'mon girlfriend" there is another that can be more masculine.  You ain't seen nothing yet.  It's Tricky.  Tequila.  Thriller.  I don't wanna stop.

The only super girly track in BS71 is the party track and even that one can be infused with some testosterone if you get creative.  I can't think of any track where one MUST shake their behind or bosom.. it's a pretty optional thing. 

Once apon a time I wasnt' comfortable shaking my thang! so guess what..... I didn't!!!!!!!!!! not until I was comfortable presenting that way.

The trick is - take the frilly bits as accessories, and take them or leave them - if it aint your flavour, colour it how ever you wish!! These classes are all pre choreographed, but we all bring our personalities into the class.. Present the way that makes you feel passionate and 'honest' in your delivery!!! If people can see that you aren't comfortable shaking your butt etc etc they are hardly going to feel motivated to lead the way ;op

My advice would be... dont put the blinkers on and just give up, get creative (we are allowed), ignore the frilly bits that you dont like, DONT say 'Hey Girl' - if it doesn't fit... why would you.... Be yourself, relax, have fun... and enjoy your class.

 Me personally - These Days... the frilly bits....Bring them on Baby, B'ring - them - On!!!  

Les Mills folk - DONT YOU DARE stop showing us frilly options... we're big enough to adapt and overcome :o)

 Happy Stepping!

Tracey.

Well said Tracey!!!!  If you're not comfortable don't do it, use your imagination and listen to the words and put your slant into your presentation.  If I don't like what's done, for what ever reason I don't do it and replace it with what feels right for me or just use vocal motivation.  Remember BS is supposed to fun  so it is up to the individual instructor to make the fun and if that means not doing the shimmies etc don't find your thing.

As for the music, hey, they pick the music that works not if it is male/female orientated.  Mark is the programme director, he's male married with kids and he shakes and shimmies like the girls, well maybe not like the girls but with the girls and when it doesn't suit him he doesn't.  That's OK.  I have a male member in my classes and he loves all the shaking and shimming so it definitely has its place and those who don't like it don't do it.  No one has to join in, it is totally up to the individual. Remember variety is the spice of life.

 Happy Stepping!

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Always Be the Best You Can, Never Ever, Ever Give Up! Dare to be Different!

I agree in the point of music. It is a bit female-oriented. And it is hard for men to try to promote a unisex-oriented music. The first reason is, we are very few men, and to put it on a perspectiv. It will be a fight simular to David vs Goliat. We work on your permishion. I wish a music-track, who is a bit slover, but closer to BodyCombat. I belive this two classes have mutch in commen. But BodyCambat have sucseed with be a more unisex-program.

 In my gym is there two BodyStep, and one free-stile-step class. At all there is two men who go to this class. Once or two times a week. I like best the free-stile-step-class. It is easier to make better and is more athletic.On the point on Shaiking the hips, I am a male. And after 2 realises, I started to luse a bit up. But it is a bit hard. The hole move is new!!!! The progress with the chaking going slow, and the hole coordination is non-handling at the moment. The only reason I start, wos I notis the restitution-progress, in the abdominal, after the lunge-track.

 And the point of there is not doing any thing about BodyStep is a male/female program. Why is it not Mark who is on the realis-posters for BodyStep? He is the Program-director. He is the one who should be on them. And why do it stay energy, power etc on them... And posters with Both Mark and Sarah on. That could be a huge progress in the way of promoting step as general. Why is there not telled any-thing about in exemple the progress Bodystep have on BodyCombat, BodyPump or classes where members are training, and atherwice? I started BodyStep beccous of some one reccoment thes effects. And I give it a shat. The result wos more focused, faster, and more power-full kicks. And deeper Ginga. And I can ceap the profile low longer. On BodyStep I hade more pover-full and faster knee-kicks,  in the first cardio track then most of ather members.

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Liv hard, train hard, Die hard:-D!!!

I am a male instructor as well... and let me say Im not scared to shake my thang! The women seem to like it and they get a kick out of it. But I feel sorry for the guys who are there...I usually appologize to the guys before I shake it. I even tell them to turn away if they dont want to see it. LOL. Sometimes we will have  almost half the participants male! So u see the dilema. Guys take it because the CARDIO cant be BEAT! (they are not there to shake it) No machine will give it to ya like BodyStep!

All in all if you dont feel it, dont do it! It has to be authentic. And depneding on how I read the class' energy....I may not shake at all.

I have to admit on some releases, I feel a wee bit embarrassed to how feminine some of the moves are.

I hope they listen and try to keep it more user friendly for both sexes!

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Tim

You know what, I agree with the original poster even though I'm neither male nor an instructor!  I'm a keen BodyStep participant and I turn up twice a week religiously in order to get a seriously challenging, athletic, adrenaline-rushing workout!  I'm really not keen on all the fluffy girly stuff and have never yet been known to shake my bum, or anything else   Sorry, don't mean to be a party-pooper, but it ain't my bag!  I love both BodyStep & BodyAttack because they allow me to really have a hard workout and "give it some welly".  I definitely don't come to BodyStep to do twirly-whirly dancing around my step like they seem to do in freestyle classes (I made the mistake of going to one once.. good grief, you call that a workout?! )

Party Step is usually my least favourite track of any given release because I just don't much enjoy the lower-intensity "fun" dancing around type stuff.  My idea of fun is going right off the scale during 1st peak, power peak and final peak.  And fortunately, there's always enough of that stuff in BodyStep, while you can take or leave the booty-shaking as you please.  We have a few regular male participants in the classes I go to and they just skip the girlie bits, as I do and so do other female participants who either aren't interested and/or feel too self-conscious or whatever.  I have to say it doesn't bother me unduly, and doesn't seem to bother the guys either.

I certainly wouldn't give up BS because of that... and I really don't think you should either if you still enjoy the other aspects of the program as much as you say!

oh I dunno, I teach bodystep and I'm a guy.  It's all in the way that you present it.  There's nothing wrong with having a bit of fun with the moves so long as it stays an athletic workout.  personally I have no problem with the releases and I think body step is the one program that always seems to keep getting better and better.  Love it to bits.

 Anyway you can't please everyone, I'm incredibly satisfied with it, you're not.  Feedback is great as far as it goes but that doesn't necessarily mean that change will bring about a better program.  Plus I'd have to add that Bodystep is going to be a program that is always far more popular with women.  That's the way it goes.

and if you decide to stop teaching it...your loss.   If you're not comfortable teaching it then maybe you shouldn't, it always shows up in the end.  I say again heaps of people love the program as it is and I'm rather doubtful that the program can be made any better to please some instructors who want to make it more 'manly'.  Not every track is fun fun fun with lots of shimmys etc.  I don't see any track is being particularly manly or girly. 

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viva le quokka

I am with Tim on this one....not threatened nor bashful about shakin my own groove thang as well BUT I must say that there is a point in all of this.  BodyStep  and group fitness in general for that matter do have a stigma of being "girlie" and you and I both know who teach Step etc. that trying to drag your average guy into the aerobics studio is a tough task.  I say that the program should not make it any more hard on us being able to appeal to the masses as possible.  A good powerful athletic based workout is what we need everytime! Now I do so enjoy the tracks that let us dance and shake some but that being said....the overall push should be for power and athleticism.

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KIA KAHA! "for the strength of the Pack is in the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is in the Pack"...Rudyard Kipling

Just to give some balance to what Im saying...

Our club did the switch a long time ago to BTS...."Group Step"

OMG that was even more "girlie" so dont get me wrong, I love BodyStep...there was such an uproar that we had to switch back to Les Mills...BodyStep and I AM SO HAPPY!

I just like to be an advocate for my guys...

and hey, the gals love the guys with tight bums, so its a win win situation if we keep it friendly for everyone!

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Tim

I agree with the OP, I'm male and I've done a total of 2 body step classes, 1 of them was recently as my gym doesn't give much class choices on sundays. The class I did recently I did with an open mind (I knew what I thought I would expect from the experience from the first class I did 12-18 months ago), I was the only male there, that didn't bother me too much, but it was only the first couple of minutes that I nearly walked out of the class I was so uncomfortable.. After that I was settled in, but the feminine stuff throughout the class made me feel very awkward.

I do body combat 4-5 times a week (gym doesnt do combat on sundays), so out of the 2 step classes I've done, I would have to say without a doubt I enjoyed the gender neutral step class which I did the many months ago.. I can say without a doubt there is a class I won't be doing again when push comes to shove when choosing a class to do on a sunday.

 

I have to partially agree with mrcjr2, but NOT because of the MOVES.  Strictly on the SONG LYRICS basis, BS71 songs were geared for the ladies: there were an overabundance of "c'mon girls".  I had 3 very patient guys in my classes, but even they told me that they needed some more manly songs next time.  But then again BODYSTEP 68-69 had the most man oriented songs to date.  BODYSTEP 70 had a perfect mix.

Perhaps the cover bands that Les Mills uses could try to avoid overusing these "c'mon girls" kind of phrases.  I love how BODYSTEP is now mentioned throughout the lyrics, BTW.

I think that BODYSTEP is the best step class for men.  It is athletic, and powerful.  There is not one song, not even track 8 that cannot be made athletic.  (The last one that was off the edge was the ballroom dancing speed track from 55?  That was not popular with men, but we stayed behind the bench with them.)  All the girly "fun stuff" that are in the video are optional, and you can stick to the basic athleticism of the moves.

Sometimes I strip all the frill and do it for the whole class to really appreciate the workout they are getting.

 

I disagree with the original post. There's plenty of tracks in 71 and for the boys. Track 6 is one of the more hard-core tracks in a long time. And the the party track can be delivered athletically, like most party tracks can, if you don't want to camp it up. I teach that one how I feel like teaching it on the day, depending on the mood the class is in. If they want to play, we play! I think the last few party tracks have been some of the best ever. Track 10 looks girly on the the lyrics sheet, but it's just a flat stick cardio blast usually for me, the lyrics don't dominate the intensity of that track in any way.

For the record I'm a male instructor with about 20% male participants.

Hi agree with Gumby.

I don't really pay attention to the lyrics, I just enjoy the workout.

Its your workout, if you want to do the "fluff" then do, if its not then don't do it.